TOKYO MARATHON 2007③～ in the rain

Harder than I imagined- this was my frank feeling.

My plastic raincoat made me harder to run. Still so cold ,although I started to run. Through the Shinjuku- the biggest down town Tokyo, there were so many people cheering us. Waving their hands, having the sign board with a messege, yelling "Ganbare!!(Cheer up.)" My tears leaked from the corner of my eyes naturally.

Raining getting harder and harder.

The marathon course was selected to the runners can enjoy with many sight seeing points and flatted.I have lived in Tokyo quite long -maybe 8-9years. I knew the all places on race course. But the scenery was totally different. Newness and rediscovery. I felt happy and lucky to run on the roads which are usually for cars , and not permitted to walk .

When I passed Hibiya park where was the goal of 10km race, it rained so hard. I saw many runner head for 10 km. "Wow, should I have choosen 10km?? Still I had more than 30km....." I knew at that park they prepared for foot bath, I really wanted to go. At that time , extremely cold . I had some candy and snack in my belt bag , but too cold to open them. I was cring for cold.

Around the 20km, I felt pain on left knee. "I didn't have enough time for training." I had to walk as fast as possible insted of runnning. Already I was in late group .I felt a kind of jealousy a little bit to the runners they already pass the returning point. But some runner, when they run pass , spork words of cheer like "Let's goal by everybody". I was really happy.

During race I saw many volunteers who smiling me with freezing in the cold. They were so great, they did perfect job. They looked so cold, needless to say, they were colder than us. I heard the many people applied for volunteers since they couldn't run because of lottery. Oh, yes more than 60000people couldn't run. I said to myslf I was lucky , I had to do my best, I had to enjoy insted of them.....

And I was so encouraged by many people along the course. They don't know me, and I don't know them, but they cheered and supported with full of their passion. In fact this was the very first city Marathon in Tokyo, many amount of foods and water were prepared, water was fine, but the food were not enough- it might be much colder than they expected. Anyway, we were severe lack of foods. Only the fast runners could get foods from the official aid. Some runners who had some money with them would go to the convenience store to buy something to eat. After Asakusa area- about 30km from the start point- the people noticed the runners were so hungry, many people offer us candy, sweet, soup, hot tea that gave us the energy for another step.

My legs were so heavy, but I want to say thank you to those who imvolved this marathon.

The goal was coming soon.

【to be continued】